Stephen Egerton | |
|---|---|
 Egerton performing with the Descendents in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stephen Patrick O'Reilly |
| Born | September 2, 1964 |
| Origin | Utah, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | stephenegerton |
Stephen Patrick O'Reilly (born September 2, 1964), known professionally as Stephen Egerton, is an American guitarist, producer, mixer, and engineer, who is best known for his work playing in Descendents [1] and All. [2]
Egerton was raised in Utah, United States (U.S.) and explained his early relationship to music in a 2009 interview: "I was a music fanatic from the beginning of my life. Including pounding my head on the floor along with my parent's records ... which explains a lot." [3] Egerton's first significant musical influence was the Beatles, but he also grew up listening to his parents' music collection:
A lot of 50's and 60's rock and roll as a kid, and a little jazz. My mother had good taste in music, and I grew up with a great variety. When I was 11, a neighbor lent me Frank Zappa's Absolutely Free which sparked my interest in "unusual" music ... opening the door for punk rock. [3]
Egerton played drums and guitar in the punk rock/death rock band Massacre Guys. Formed in Salt Lake City, Egerton played with the Massacre Guys from 1980 to 1985 alongside bassist Karl Alvarez, with whom he grew up. Egerton explained in 2012 that he taught Alvarez how to play the bass guitar during their time in the band. [4]
In 1985 Egerton relocated to Virginia, U.S., where he studied classical guitar and played in the band Auto Da Fe, with former Iron Cross vocalist Sab Grey, Washington metropolitan area drummer Eric Wallgren, and former Black Market Baby bass player Paul Cleary. In late 1986, Egerton joined Alvarez in Descendents.
In 2006 Egerton began recording for a new project named "40Engine," alongside former All vocalist Scott Reynolds. The band released the songs "Sunny Disposition" and "She Has Everything" on the Internet in late 2007/early 2008. [5]
As part of a collaboration with guitarist Jason Crowley, called "Crowley/Egerton," Egerton played drums and bass for songs that were made available online in 2007. [6]
Egerton formed an instrumental project called "Slorder," and the band released its debut EP in January 2009. [7]
In 2010, Egerton released The Seven Degrees of Stephen Egerton on the Paper + Plastick label. The album features Egerton playing with a variety of vocalists, including Milo Aukerman, Joey Cape, and Mike Herrera. Two album release shows occurred in Oklahoma, U.S., during May 2010, and Slorder also performed at both shows. [8]
Egerton explained in a July 2012 interview that Descendents had transformed into a lesser responsibility for the band members, as singer Aukerman was unable to commit to a full-time band schedule at the time; furthermore, three of the four members were parents. Egerton stated that he was satisfied with the new arrangement, whereby the band played around 20 shows on an annual basis: "We fly in; we rock out, have fun, don’t burn it out, go home and back to normal. I love it." [4]
During the surprise guest appearance of Black Flag at the 30th-anniversary Goldenvoice show—held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in California, U.S. in December 2011—at which Descendents was the headline act, Keith Morris and Chuck Dukowski joined Bill Stevenson and Egerton to play Black Flag's first e.p., Nervous Breakdown. In January 2013, the formation of the same lineup that played Nervous Breakdown as the band FLAG was announced, with Black Flag's third singer and one-time rhythm-guitar player Dez Cadena joining the band afterward. Prior to a September 2013 FLAG performance at Irving Plaza in New York City, U.S., Dukowski said regarding the band's formation: "I knew Bill [Stevenson] and Stephen [Egerton] would rage." Although the backgrounds of the band's membership are diverse, FLAG solely perform "the songs of Black Flag." [9] [10]
Egerton recorded a guitar solo for Role Model, the 2013 album of Australian band Bodyjar. [11]
In July 2012, Egerton explained that he was continuing to run the Armstrong Studios recording facility—based at his house in Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.—where he engineers, produces and mixes music:
I’m very fortunate in that my main day job is mixing and mastering records. I do most of my work in my spare bedroom; I have a studio at home and sometimes I record bands there but mostly I do mixing and mastering so it works out convenient for me. I’m there all the time ... [4]
In September 2009, Egerton revealed that he enjoyed recording more than touring, as he liked the idea of music being "permanent," and stated that, by that stage, he had been involved in the recording of "Probably 30 or so bands, and more than 50 projects over the last bunch of years." [3] In a 2010 interview, Russ Rankin of the American punk band Good Riddance, identified Egerton—during his time at the Blasting Room studio alongside Descendents drummer Stevenson—as a producer who "really understood what Good Riddance was about":
Also, the way they [Egerton and Stevenson] recorded … it was completely out of the ordinary … we'd been through the culture where you'd lay down the drums first, then you lay down the bass, then you lay down the guitars, and then you do the vocals … and we get to the Blasting Room and once the drums were done it was like, all bets are off … it was definitely a new approach for us anyway, we'd never done anything like that before…so I think that those guys really brought out the best in us, they challenged us, but they also, I think, had a really innate sense of knowing what we were trying to get done. [12]
Egerton and Stevenson also mixed Bodyjar's Jarchives: 10 Years of Bodyjar compilation album. [13]
Egerton and his wife reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with their children, Sophie and Felix O'Reilly. Egerton explained in 2012 that he chose Tulsa so that his children could be near to his wife's parents, and in 2009 he also mentioned the "inexpensive" cost of living in the city. Egerton provided a brief insight into his daily schedule in 2012:
I’m the guy that takes [the kids] to the bus, my wife's job is set hours, I have complete flexibility in my schedule. I live a mile from school, if I need to take care of something I do. I really like it because my mother had to work and my Dad was gone, so to be there for them [the kids] feels good. [4]
Black Flag is an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. Initially called Panic, the band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member, and singer Keith Morris. They are widely considered to be one of the first hardcore punk bands, as well as one of the pioneers of post-hardcore. After breaking up in 1986, Black Flag reunited in 2003 and again in 2013. The second reunion lasted well over a year, during which they released their first studio album in nearly three decades, What The... (2013). The band announced their third reunion in January 2019.
Keith Morris is an American singer and songwriter known for his role as frontman of the hardcore punk bands Black Flag, Circle Jerks, and Off!. Born and raised in Hermosa Beach, California, he formed Black Flag at the age of 21 with guitarist Greg Ginn and performed on the band's 1979 debut EP Nervous Breakdown. Shortly after leaving Black Flag in 1979, he formed the Circle Jerks with guitarist Greg Hetson; the band released seven albums between 1980 and 1995 and have broken up and reformed on numerous occasions. In 2009 Morris formed the supergroup Off! with guitarist Dimitri Coats, bassist Steven Shane McDonald, and drummer Mario Rubalcaba. Morris has also appeared as a guest vocalist on several albums by other artists.
Gary Arthur McDaniel, better known by his stage name Chuck Dukowski, is an American punk rock musician. He is most well-known for being the bass player and an occasional songwriter for Black Flag.
John William Stevenson is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is the drummer, main songwriter, and only constant member of the California punk rock group Descendents since its inception. In late December 1981, he played a few concerts with the hardcore punk band Black Flag because their drummer, Robo was detained in England after a tour there. He went on to record with Black Flag on several of their albums until 1985, including the highly influential My War. After this, he focused his attention on Descendents and played with the band until lead singer Milo Aukerman left in 1987. After Milo's departure, Bill and the other members of Descendents, Karl Alvarez and Stephen Egerton, recruited singer Dave Smalley of Dag Nasty, moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, and formed ALL. ALL went on to have two more singers, Scott Reynolds (1989–1993) and Chad Price (1993–present). Aukerman came back for the 1996 album Everything Sucks, the 2004 album Cool to Be You, 2016's Hypercaffium Spazzinate and the newest album 9th and Walnut. All and Descendents continue to tour between Stevenson's and Aukerman's respective careers as a recording engineer and a biochemist. Stevenson was born in Torrance, California and attended Mira Costa High School, with fellow members of the Descendents.
My War is the second studio album by American band Black Flag. It was the first of three full-length albums the band released in 1984. The album polarized fans due to the LP's B-side, on which the band slowed down to a heavy, Black Sabbath-esque trudge after establishing expectations as a faster hardcore punk band on its first album, Damaged (1981).
Descendents is an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson as a power-pop/surf punk band. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a singer, and reappeared as a melodic hardcore punk band, becoming a major player in the hardcore scene developing in Los Angeles at the time. They have released eight studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums, and four EPs. Since 1986, the band's lineup has consisted of Aukerman, Stevenson, guitarist Stephen Egerton, and bassist Karl Alvarez.
All is an American pop-punk band originally from Los Angeles, California, currently based in Fort Collins, Colorado. The group was formed by Descendents members Bill Stevenson, Karl Alvarez, and Stephen Egerton.
Bodyjar are an Australian pop punk band which formed in 1990. They began performing under the name Bodyjar in 1994; their previous names included Damnation (1990–91) and Helium (1992–93). The latter group released an album, You Can't Hold Me Down, in October 1992. As Bodyjar their original line-up were Cameron Baines on vocals and guitar; Ben Petterson on vocals and guitar; Grant Relf on vocals and bass guitar; and Charles Zerafa on drums. In 1995 Ross Hetherington replaced Zerafa on drums. In 1999 Tom Read replaced Petterson on guitar and in 2004 Hetherington made way for Shane Wakker on drums.
All is the fourth album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1987 through SST Records. It was the band's first album with bassist Karl Alvarez and guitarist Stephen Egerton, who brought new songwriting ideas to the group. The album is titled after the concept of "All" invented by drummer Bill Stevenson and friend Pat McCuistion in 1980. Based on the goals of achieving "the total extent" and "to not settle for some, to always go for All", the philosophy was the subject of the one-second title track, the two-second "No, All!", and "All-O-Gistics".
Everything Sucks is the fifth studio album by American punk rock band Descendents, released on September 24, 1996, through Epitaph Records. It was their first album of new studio material since 1987's All, after which singer Milo Aukerman had left the band to pursue a career in biochemistry. The remaining members had changed the band's name to All and released eight albums between 1988 and 1995 with singers Dave Smalley, Scott Reynolds, and Chad Price. When Aukerman decided to return to music the group chose to operate as two acts simultaneously, playing with Aukerman as the Descendents and with Price as All. It is considered a return to the band's angrier hardcore punk such as the Fat EP and Milo Goes to College.
'Merican is an EP by the American punk rock band Descendents, released February 10, 2004. It was the band's first release for Fat Wreck Chords and served as a pre-release to their sixth studio album Cool to Be You, released the following month. The EP includes two songs from the album: "Nothing with You" and "'Merican", and three B-sides from the album's sessions: "Here with Me", "I Quit", and the hidden track "Alive". 'Merican marked the first release of new studio material from the Descendents since 1996's Everything Sucks and was their third release ever to chart, peaking at number 29 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart and at number 38 on Top Heatseekers.
Somery is a compilation album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1991 through SST Records. It compiles songs from their Fat EP (1981) and the albums Milo Goes to College (1982), I Don't Want to Grow Up (1985), Enjoy! (1986), and All (1987).
Tony Lombardo is an American musician who was the original bassist in the punk rock band the Descendents. He joined the band in 1979 and played on their debut single, the Fat EP (1981), and the albums Milo Goes to College (1982) and I Don't Want to Grow Up (1985). After leaving the band, he performed in other acts and worked for the United States Postal Service until 2005. He collaborated with the Descendents' successor band, All, writing two songs for their album Allroy's Revenge (1989) and teaming up with them for an album of his own songs, New Girl, Old Story (1991), credited to "TonyAll". He also collaborated with the reunited Descendents on their 1996 album Everything Sucks, and the 2021 album 9th and Walnut.
Scott Reynolds is an American punk rock vocalist from Fredonia, New York, known mainly for his work with the band ALL from 1989 to 1993. He has also performed with such bands as The Pavers and Goodbye Harry.
The Blasting Room is a recording studio in Fort Collins, Colorado. Founded by members of the punk rock band All in 1994, it is owned and operated by musician Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore. The studio is known for recording and producing many punk rock bands, with Stevenson and Livermore serving as in-house audio engineers and record producers.
Only Crime is an American melodic hardcore group formed by Good Riddance singer Russ Rankin and Bane guitarist Aaron Dalbec in 2003. The band plays melodic but hard-hitting punk rock that borrows heavily from early-1980s hardcore bands such as Black Flag.
Operation Phoenix is the fourth album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released May 4, 1999 through Fat Wreck Chords. It marked a change in recording location and production team for the band: their previous three albums had been recorded in San Francisco with producer and recording engineer Ryan Greene, but for Operation Phoenix the band traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado to record at The Blasting Room with Jason Livermore and Descendents/All members Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton. This marked the beginning of a long-term working relationship: Good Riddance would record all of their studio material at The Blasting Room using the same production team until 2003, when the band slipped into inactivity and singer Russ Rankin started Only Crime with Stevenson. Stevenson and Livermore would return to record and produce Good Riddance's final studio album My Republic in 2006, which was recorded in San Francisco. Rankin later commented that working with The Blasting Room team was a major turning point in recording for the band:
We did our first three albums with Ryan Greene and Ryan Greene is a great engineer and a really great guy and we learned a lot about being prepared to record ... his studio know-how was top-notch, his demeanor was top-notch, and we learned a lot, but when we decided we wanted a change, and we went to the Blasting Room, it was like...so different ... they knew what we were trying to do ... Also, the way they recorded...it was completely out of the ordinary...we'd been through the culture where you'd lay down the drums first, then you lay down the bass, then you lay down the guitars, and then you do the vocals...and we get to the Blasting Room and once the drums were done it was like, all bets are off, Chuck [Platt, bassist] would go in for a couple hours, then I would go in, then Luke [Pabich, guitarist] would go in, and we'd just be chipping away at these songs ... it was definitely a new approach for us anyway, we'd never done anything like that before...so I think that those guys really brought out the best in us, they challenged us, but they also, I think, had a really innate sense of knowing what we were trying to get done.
Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit is the fifth album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released July 10, 2001 through Fat Wreck Chords. It was their only release ever to chart, reaching #32 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart. It marked the debut of drummer Dave Wagenschutz with the band; their longtime drummer Sean Sellers had left in early 1999, and Lagwagon drummer Dave Raun had filled in on the 2000 EP The Phenomenon of Craving and on several tours until Wagenschutz, formerly of Kid Dynamite, joined Good Riddance full-time.
Filmage: The Story of Descendents/All is a 2013 independent documentary film chronicling the history of the American punk rock bands the Descendents and All. It was written by Matt Riggle, who produced and directed it with Deedle LaCour. The film uses an oral history format, telling the bands' stories through the use of interviews with over 40 subjects, as well as new and archival footage. It stars drummer Bill Stevenson, singer Milo Aukerman, bassist Karl Alvarez, and guitarist Stephen Egerton, and features nearly all past and present members of both bands. Filmage also features numerous musicians who were contemporaries of, worked with, or were influenced by the Descendents and All.
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